The Charlatans – Live at Glastonbury 1995 – June 25, 1995 – BBC Radio 1 –
The Charlatans in concert at Glastonbury this week. Recorded during one of the band’s high points, by the BBC on June 25, 1995. One of my perennial favorites and one of the bands I have run frequently over the years (different venues at different points, but still The Charlatans). I always cite the story of The Charlatans playing in Los Angeles at the Hollywood Palladium around this time and how much of a revelation I thought the band were. The 90s were like that; lots of revelations and lots of trying new things out, or incorporating old things and giving them new outlooks. Madchester always reminded me of the Psychedelic part of the 60s – and The Charlatans seemed to personify that. Although you couldn’t listen to the band and point to specific influences, there was a vibe about the band that was instantly appealing to me. And maybe it was this new infusion of blood into the music scene in the 90s that I found the most exciting, and certainly envigarating.
Sadly, not all the bands making up this new and exciting genre became huge successes in the U.S. The Charlatans always maintained a certain cult following over here – and that’s perfectly fine. In fact, I wonder what would have happened if they had become hugely successful over here – would they have lost their edge, or would this mass appeal spur them on to do bigger things, it’s an interesting point to ponder.
Suffice to say that The Charlatans are one of those bands who haven’t lost their appeal – and I think that speaks to what they brought to the musical table in the first place and its always been refreshing.
To get an idea of what they were up to, relatively early on (six years and four albums into it), and it was just about to the point of their biggest successes, and also tragedies just a few months later.
Crank it up and enjoy.
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